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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · safe · cue · prune · chip · sharp · bear · rash

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. field — a subject
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rash — hasty
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rash — a series
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — farmland
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com